Job Description

Internal Job Title: Discovery Postdoctoral Fellow

Position Location: Cambridge, MA, onsite #LI-onsite

* This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

* Please note that relocation support is not available for this position.

* This is a full-time training position of up to three years in duration.

The start date for the 2026 Novartis BR Postdoctoral Fellowship Program cohort is October 1, 2026. Please confirm your availability to meet this date in your cover letter.

Research Opportunity

Cell surface proteins play critical roles in mediating interactions between cells and their environment and represent important therapeutic targets in oncology, including radioligand therapies, antibody-drug conjugates, and immune cell engagers. This three-year postdoctoral fellowship, co-mentored by scientists from Oncology Translational Research and Discovery Sciences, offers a unique opportunity to build a broadly enabling surface proteomics platform while uncovering disease-relevant cancer proteoforms that may reveal novel therapeutic targets and translational biomarkers.

You will:

• Work with expert translational, proteomics, and microscopy teams using state-of-the-art instrumentation and technologies.
• Develop and validate novel cell surface proteoform enrichment and mass spectrometry characterization methods in vitro.
• Apply validated approaches to identify and characterize surface protein and proteoform composition across cancer models.
• Investigate how proteoform composition differs across biomarker-defined cancer subtypes and evolves during treatment response and resistance.
• Optimize methods for tissue analysis and extend findings from cell culture into preclinical and patient-derived samples.
• Contribute to the identification of novel therapeutic targets and translational biomarkers.

Key Responsibilities

• Co-create a comprehensive research plan with scientific mentors, integrating emerging scientific literature and innovative methodologies.
• Execute experiments, interpret results, and drive scientific decision-making.
• Develop and validate novel in vitro methods for cell surface proteoform enrichment and mass spectrometry-based characterization.
• Apply scalable approaches to characterize surface protein and proteoform composition in models of therapeutic response and resistance.
• Optimize methods for tissue-based applications and translational studies.
• Communicate scientific findings to cross-functional project teams and key stakeholders.
• Present research at internal and external scientific meetings.
• Publish novel discoveries in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Essential Requirements:

• PhD or equivalent doctoral degree in a relevant scientific discipline such as Oncology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Chemical Biology, or a related field, completed prior to the fellowship start date.
• PhD conferred in 2026. This fellowship is intended for scientists immediately following completion of doctoral training.
• Demonstrated record of scientific achievement through publications, presentations, patents, or equivalent accomplishments.
• Strong commitment to learning, innovation, and professional development.
• Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Experience working with in vitro models and handling preclinical and/or clinical tissue samples.
• Hands-on experience with protein analysis and cellular characterization techniques, including Western blotting, ELISA, protein labeling, immunoprecipitation, flow cytometry, high-content imaging, and microscopy.
• Interest in exploring emerging technologies and translating new approaches into impactful research applications.
• Strong communication skills and demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively within matrixed scientific teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with mass spectrometry and proteomics data generation, analysis, and visualization.
• Experience using analytics and visualization tools such as Spotfire and R.
• Experience in oncology translational research.

How to Apply:

Please submit your CV and cover letter by July 25th, 2026. In your cover letter, describe your research interests, career aspirations, and how this fellowship will support your long-term development.

Compensation & Benefits:

The starting salary for this position is 87,000 USD per year.

US-based eligible employees will receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, life and disability benefits, a 401(k) with company contribution and match, and a variety of other benefits. In addition, employees are eligible for a generous time off package including vacation, personal days, holidays and other leaves.

Salary Range
$57,800.00 - $107,300.00

Skills Desired
Analytical Thinking, Chemical Biology, Chemistry, Clinical Research, Clinical Trials, Collaboration, Curious Mindset, Data Analysis, Detail-Oriented, Ethics, Gene Therapy, Immunology, Machine Learning (ML), Mammalian Cell Culture, Medical Research, Molecular Biology, Patient Care, Science